Category: Universals Archive

Universal 189: ≥7 cases ⇒ case(s) for local relations Original Any case system with over a certain number of cases in it (probably somewhere around…

Universal 205: Original No set of case marking elements express neither subject-object nor concrete relations. Standardized IF a relational marker (case, adposition) does not express…

Universal 221: Original In all languages: each free root morpheme (in contrast to the non-root morpheme) is expressed with more than one consonant phoneme. Standardized…

Universal 237: category X (adjective) ⇒ category X (noun) Original If adjectives inflect for any category, nouns inflect for this category as well. Standardized IF…

Universal 253: possessive predication ⇒ localizing predication Original Predicate hierarchy 1B: (Xi/0)loc > (Xi)possthis hierarchy states that presentative localizing predications are more easily predicable than…

Universal 269: Original If in a language there is a special distinction of animate and inanimate (personal and non-personal) nouns connected with a regular syncretism…

Universal 285: Original In all languages: if there are tri-valent causatives derived from bi-valent non-causative verbs, there must also be bi-valent causatives derived from one-place…

Universal 301: Original In all languages (?) it is possible to form general questions without inversion. Standardized General questions can be formed without inversion. Keywords…

Universal 317: nominative/accusative (inanimate noun) ⇒ nominative/accusative (animate noun) Original If inanimate nominals have the opposition of the syntactic form of the nominative and the…

Universal 333: Original If verbal suffixes or enclitics which point out the subject and/or object, under some conditions, move from the postverbal position to the…